Red
by Cheese1
Summary: Brennan is hurt, see how Booth does react....
1. Chapter 1

My third fanfictions, I hope you enjoy it... I am going to put up my other fanfictions too, might take a while I still have to find out how everything works here ;)

reviews more than only welcome!!!!

* * *

**RED**

Red…. Right now, he hated the colour. He always had thought of red as the colour of love... now he knew he would never be able to think of it like that again.

Red... nobody had prepared him for what he saw now, for how it affected him.

Red... he would have given everything to not see that much of the colour right now.

Red... pulsing, vivid red... death bringing red... it blossomed like a flower on her white shirt, where the bullet had hit her.

Red. Her blood. It was warm against his hand, where he pressed against the wound to slow down the bleeding.

They had come here to question a suspect. Now he knew the suspect had been the killer... he had committed it, but then shot at Brennan in an instant. Booth had tried to throw himself before her, catch the bullet for her, but he had been to slow. Too slow...

He had seen her fall, he had hear her scream and it had nearly ripped his heart out of his chest. Then he had shot back at the killer, only a second before the killer could shoot him. He was dead now, covered in his blood. Booth's shots had been accurate. There was no comfort in this thought.

He removed his gaze from the dead body and looked down at his partner. He had already made a phone call, now he was waiting for help... but he was afraid she would not make it.

If only he could have caught the bullet... it would have been better to feel the pain himself, than be forced to watch her fighting for her life.

He had ripped off a part of his shirt to press it against the wound, but the cloth was already soaked with blood. With her blood... her life was simply flowing out of her and he could do nothing. He ripped another part off his shirt and pressed it against her wound. She winced.

"I know it hurts, believe me... but please stay strong, Bones..." he whispered and looked into her bright blue eyes. He could see her pain in them.

"You know more about the human body than I... is there anything else I can do, Bones?" he asked her, afraid of her answer, fearing she would say no. He wanted to do something... he needed to do something.

"Yes." She whispered. He looked at her in astonishment, then moved closer to listen to her, because her words were barely audible. "Booth... tell Angela, that I am sorry... and tell my father..."

"Stop it!" Booth interrupted her. "Don't tell me what I should do if you die. You are not going to die. I won't let that happen."

Despite her pain, her eyes showed a spark of amusement and she whispered "I fear that's not your decision."

"Since you don't believe in a higher being it must be your decision then... fight, Bones... I need you to fight. How am I going to solve my cases without you..." his voice was thick with emotion.

"You will... solve them." She managed to utter, when a wave of pain came over her.

"No... I can only solve them with you, Bones. I need your facts, your knowledge!" he answered.

"You've got Zach. He is a genius..." Brennan whispered back.

"I don't want Zach! I want you to fight, Bones...because I need YOU." He leaned a bit closer.

"It's not only about how I should solve my cases without you, Bones... I don't know how to survive without you... do you understand me?"

Her eyes widened a bit and he saw that she had understood, how deep his emotions really were... despite the line he had once drawn, despite their asseverations that they were partners, and partners only.

"Don't leave me, Temperance." He whispered in her ear. "Please don't leave me..."

The pain still was written on her face, but she managed a tiny smile. "I won't" she whispered.

His eyes widened a bit and he too smiled slightly. "You made your decision, then?"

"Yes. I will fight. There are things I still have to do..." She whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. "... but it hurts, Booth... it hurts..."

"I know... I know... I was not quick enough... forgive me... I would have taken that bullet for you..." Booth had to swallow hard. He would have taken a hundred bullets for her... but he had not managed to take this one.

She raised her hand, although it hurt to do so, and touched his cheek gently. "This is not your fault."

He moved his head a bit, feeling her hand pressing against his cheek. He briefly closed his eyes to only enjoy this very feeling...

Then he heard the sirens from afar. "They are coming, Bones..." he said and opened his eyes.

She lowered her hand. He heard that her breathing was shallow when she whispered: "I want to live...tell them..."

He briefly wondered why she would not tell them herself, but then he saw that she closed her eyes and he knew she had fallen unconscious.

Gone was the comfort of the piercing blue eyes ... the only colour remaining was the red blood on her shirt, on his hands. Red again.

"I will." He whispered back, although he knew she would not hear him. "You will live!"

Then the paramedics arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

Part two:

The drive to the hospital had been short, but to him it seemed to take a lifetime to finally get her to the emergency room.

She had been unconscious all the way and he had hear the paramedics mutter meaningful words, none of them sounding encouraging. He had insisted on riding with her, leaving his car behind, because he did not care about it. He cared about her, only about her and he wanted to be with her.

Then they finally arrived and the doctors and nurses had taken her away from him. "She wants to live, she said I have to tell you." He told one of the doctors. "We will do our best, we always do." The doctor assured him and hurried after the nurses.

They told him to wait and so he did. He sat down in the waiting area, all strength gone, finally he called Angela to tell her what had happened.

Then he looked down at his hands, still covered in her blood and he decided to wash it off... He did not want to look like he had slaughtered a pig, because Angela was due to arrive any moment.

When he came back from the restroom, a young female doctor hurried towards him. "Agent Booth? He lifted his gaze and looked at the young nurse, trying to brace himself, in case there were bad news. "Yes." He answered. "How... how is she?"

"Dr. Brennan is in surgery right now. Her state is critical, but we are doing our best. There are internal bleedings and we have to find the source of the bleedings... that's why I can't tell you for sure how long she will be in surgery. She woke up for a short time and insisted that I have to tell you, that you should not blame yourself, no matter what is going to happen." The doctor told him. She looked at the man in front of her, who's face was showing grief and hope at one time.

"But... but... she will survive,..." he stammered, his eyes pleading.

"Agent Booth, I want you to understand, that her state is critical... She lost great amounts of blood" at these words Booth looked down on his own, reddened shirt, which was testimony for the said amounts... he swallowed hard "... and there are the internal bleedings I told you about. I am sorry to tell you, that her chances are 50:50. But if she gets through this surgery without complications, her prospects are a bit better. Is there any family to contact?"

"I have contacted her best friend... she's what comes closest to family... I mean... there is family, but it's kind of complicated...her father won't be able to come here anyway..." Booth explained weakly.

"Well... since you are FBI... and you tell me that no family member will be able to come here... I guess we can arrange that you and the best friend – I will need the name – can see her after the surgery." The doctor offered.

"Thank you" Booth answered "The name is Angela..."

He was interrupted by the sound of high heels hurriedly coming nearer. "Montenegro" Angela completed breathlessly. "How is she... Where is she?"

"Dr. Freeman?" A nurse called from afar "We would need you here!"

"I have to go" the young doctor said and nodded towards Angela and Booth "I have told Agent Booth everything... as soon as I know anything, I will inform you."

She left them and they looked at each other. Angela's gaze fell on Booth's bloody shirt and she swallowed hard "Oh god..." she whispered "is that all hers..." She nodded towards the red stains on his shirt.

He nodded... then he cleared his throat and informed her about Brennan's state.

Her eyes were brimming with tears while listening to him, then she asked quietly: "Booth... how... how did this happen?"

He shook his head and looked miserable. "My fault... it's all my fault ... I was not quick enough,... I should have known... reacted earlier. I... I... would have taken this bullet for her, Angela... It's just... I was too slow..." He buried his head in his hands.

"You threw yourself bodily before her?" Angela asked.

"Of course... but the bullet hit her, not me..." Booth shook his head again.

Angela touched his arm "I know you would do anything for her, Booth... now you have to stay strong... and don't blame yourself. It is not your fault... some bad things just... happen."

"But it seems bad things always happen to her..." he murmured.

"That's not true." Angela remarked.

"Really? Tell me what good happened to her lately... I can't think of anything... " his voice was thick with emotion, with concern for Brennan.

"You" Angela simply said.

"What?" he asked weakly.

"You! You happened to her. The best thing that happened to her in ages. You care for her and she trusts you... Booth, you mean the world to her...

she freaked out when you were missing... believe me... she would not be better off if you had taken the bullet and were in surgery right now instead of her. If she would lose you, she would lose the person that means most to her... She is a fighter... she'd rather fight for her life than sitting here... Something you have in common, I daresay." Angela explained.

Booth smiled wryly. "Something we have in common... How come you have such an insight in other people, Angela?"

She smiled back at him and winked. "I've known Brennan for a long time now, Booth... and you definitely changed her for good. But I tell you one thing: As soon as she is awake you better tell her what you really feel... or maybe one day it's too late."

"She already knows." He murmured. Angela's eyes widened. He looked down at his hands. They were clean now, he had made sure of that... but he could still feel her warm blood on his skin. "I think... I think she was close to giving in... to fading away, you know... I ... I told her that I can't survive without her... and then she promised me to not leave me." A single tear now found it's way down his cheek.

"What if she can't keep it?" he croaked.

"Temperance Brennan always keeps her promises. I don't know how she is going to do this, but she will survive... and if it's only to kick your ass for blaming yourself!" Angela said with confidence in her voice.

"She can do anything with my ass, as long as she's alive... " Booth absently murmured and caused Angela to chuckle. "And it's about time."

Then they sat in silence, waiting, hoping.

"Agent Booth? Miss Montenegro?" a voice called after some time.

"Yes." Booth and Angela jumped to their feet. Anxiously Booth tried to read the expression on Doctor Freeman's face when she came nearer. "I just received the information, that Dr. Brennan is coming out of surgery right now... They stopped the internal bleedings, no complications. He state is stable... not completely out of danger yet, but the prospects look better now. She is brought to the ICU now. You can see her, but she is still under narcosis... she should wake up in one or two hours..."

A few minutes later they were standing in front of a big hospital bed with a small, pale looking Brennan in it. Tubes were everywhere and the machines that surrounded her figure were giving an eerie light and filled the silence with bleeping.

Booth's heart skipped a beat, when he saw her. "Temperance" he murmured, then he hurried towards her bed and kneeled down beside her. He took one of her pale, cold hands gently in his and whispered "I am here, Bones..." Although he knew she would be asleep for at least another hour, he silently prayed for her to open her eyes so that he could find the comfort he needed in the crystal blue eyes of her.

"Oh, Sweetie" Angela breathed when she saw Brennan lying there.

"Would you stay here, Angela? I'll be right back." Booth placed Brennan's hand on the bed again and jumped to his feet. Angela gave him a confused look, but nodded and sat down beside Brennan's bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Part three:

Booth was standing at the flower store, he knew exactly what he wanted to get for her... for him... for them.

He smiled a bit, when he walked back to her room. He was confident she was going to make it.

Two hours later...

Angela had left, the nurse had insisted that only one person should wait by Brennan's bed and so it had been Booth.

He was sitting in a chair beside her bed, holding her hand and watched her all the time. There was a tube in her mouth to help her breathing... Nevertheless she looked to him like the Sleeping Beauty. Who opened her eyes in that very moment.

"Bones." He immediately moved nearer. "Sh, sh... it's okay... don't panick. You are at the hospital, they had to do a surgery to stop internal bleedings... got that? Squeeze my hand..."

She squeezed his hand weakly and tried to move her lips.

"No Bones... you can't talk yet. They said they will remove the tube tomorrow, but this night you will have to endure it..."

She rolled her eyes and caused him to snicker. "I know you hate it... be a good girl, okay."

She briefly closed her eyes.

"Bones... do you remember everything? Squeeze my hand if it's a yes and blink if it's a no..."

He felt her hand pressing his... a bit harder than before.

"Even what... I told you... how I feel?"

Again she squeezed his hand.

He smiled... "Would you listen to me a bit now?"

She rolled her eyes and he could see the sarcasm in them, then she squeezed his hand.

He smiled wryly "I know... I know... what else could you do... sorry.

It's just... I got something for you..." He presented her a beautiful single red rose.

"And I want to explain this... I... Temperance when you lay there... and I felt the blood pouring out of you... it was the worst experience in my whole life...

And I thought if I am going to lose you, I ... I could not endure it. I looked down at you and all I saw was your blood... everything was red..." his voice was hoarse and he had to swallow hard when he saw her eyes brimming with tears.

"You know... that is not the red I want to remember. I want to remember this. Not red of blood and pain. The red of a rose, of love... because I love you... and as soon as you are better we can talk about all this... I mean if you don't feel the same... I..."

She blinked and he heard her snort, then she squeezed his hand briefly and freed her own and gestured. He looked at her and frowned... what was it she wanted to tell him?

She pointed at the pen in the front pocket of his shirt and he understood.

He searched for a writing pad and finally held out the pen for her.

She scribbled something down. "Remove tube!" he read.

"No Bones, they will remove it tomorrow..."

Her eyes widened a bit, their expression was furious. "Now!" she scribbled down.

Booth looked down at her and finally gave in. He pressed the button and moments later a nurse appeared.

"She wants the tube removed" he explained.

"No... not before tomorrow." The nurse said. He saw Brennan's eyes narrow. "Do it!" he insisted "I know her. If you don't do it, she will try do it herself..."

The nurse impatiently shook her head and informed a doctor.

Booth was told to leave the room, waiting outside he heard the doctor say "Now exhale!" Then Brennan's coughing could be heard... and after some time "Breathing is good, saturation okay..." the doctor's voice again.

"Booth..." a croak. The nurse had left the door slightly open, so he was able to hear it. He smiled... her first word had been his name.

"Agent Booth, you can go in now..." the nurse motioned for him to go in, while the doctor gave him a stern look "Normally we do not remove the tube that early... I hope she had a good reason..." A disapproving look on his face he went away and left Booth standing in front of Brennan's bed.

"Why did you do this Bones? It is risky!" he scolded her.

She did not yet trust her voice to utter more than a single word so he gestured for him to come nearer. He moved closer to her to be able to hear what she would tell him... "Kiss... me..." she croaked. He looked at her incredulously. "...please..." she added with her raspy voice.

He smiled and gently brushed his lips over hers. His stomach fluttered and he felt how she relaxed a little.

After another kiss he took his hand in hers and sat down in the chair. "That's why you wanted the tube removed ... to kiss me?"

"Yes..." her voice was a bit louder and steadier than before.

He shook his head "You could have done that tomorrow, couldn't you?"

She shook her head. "Wanted... it now." She smiled. "...was on my list, you ... know" she coughed a bit.

He looked a bit confused. "List?"

"Of ... things. I still have to do..." she explained slowly and he understood that she was referring to her words after 'deciding' that she wanted to stay alive.

He grinned at her. "And what's next on your list?"

A mischievous smile of her told him everything.

He snickered "That will have to wait a bit, I fear..."

The mischievous expression left her face. "What... a pity." She rasped. "But... kisses support ... recovery."

He laughed. "Oh, do they? Then we will have to make sure we spend as much time as possible kissing... Because I do want you fully recovered pretty soon."

And with that he kissed her once more... and all the pictures of her lying bleeding in his arms were washed away ... everything he could think of were the crystal blue eyes of the beautiful woman in his arms and how it felt to kiss 'his Bones':


End file.
